Magnum Poster: Nicaragua, 1978

A figure peers through the mesh of a traditional Monimbó dance mask in this 1978 scene from Nicaragua. Once part of Indigenous ceremonies, the mask—now painted with a solemn visage—was repurposed by Sandinista rebels during the fight against Somoza to conceal their identities while drawing strength from cultural tradition. Clutching barbed wire and wearing a crimson headscarf, the masked figure embodies both defiance and deep-rooted heritage. Featured in Susan Meiselas’s book Nicaragua, the image is a poignant reflection on how symbols of identity can become instruments of resistance.